


Hero

by Reploid_kid



Category: This is an Original - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:48:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22058053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reploid_kid/pseuds/Reploid_kid
Summary: If someone had told Matthios Taylor that morning that he would be in a school shooting at Pinkerton Highschool, he would’ve called them paranoid. Looking back, he wished he had listened. Because only eight hours later, his life was changed forever. And that was only the beginning.
Comments: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My sister](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+sister).



Chapter 1  
(MT)  
My name is Matthios Taylor. My best friend, Ash, called me MT, when we were in grade school, and the nickname caught on. Now, we are sixteen, and everyone calls me that. Except… my dad. My father is an international agent, which, to me, means he’s never home. Though I know I am always at risk of being kidnapped and tortured for information, (that I don’t have) I never thought that Pinkerton City, a small town, would ever become a target. So, when my alarm went off for 6:00 am, that morning, I didn’t realize it would only get worse.  
I rolled out of bed, groaning. Why can’t the weekends be longer than two days? I thought. Yawning, I got dressed and headed to the kitchen to eat breakfast. Of course, there was no cereal. That meant I would have to either cook, or suffer with an apple. For a guy who has a knack for burning toast, I decided fruit was the safest option. Looks like I’ve gotta stop by the grocery on my way home from school. Wonderful. I thought, as I grabbed my keys and an apple, and prepared to leave for school. As I was almost out the door, my phone rang. I answered it cautiously. “Hello?” “Matthios, it’s Dad.” Came my father’s deep voice on the other end of the line. “Dad?! You never call when you’re at work!” I was immediately concerned. “I know, but this time it’s urgent. Listen, son, don’t draw any attention to yourself. I can’t tell you why, so, just trust me, okay?” he said, urgently. “What? Dad-“ click! My father hung up. Great. I thought. Way to warn me, Dad. I recalled his warning. “Don’t draw attention to yourself.” No trouble there. I’m practically invisible anyway. It was true. No one at Pinkerton High noticed me. (Ash doesn’t count. We grew up together.) Still, I had no idea how wrong I was. 

(Trix)  
Pinkerton Highschool. I hated it already. My name is Trix Evans, daughter of the mafia lord, Peter Evans. Impressive, I suppose. But, to me he was just a normal dad, forcing his sixteen year old daughter to go to a new school in No Man’s Land. Anyway, as I walked up to the front doors, I caught sight of a boy in a gray hoodie. He was clearly an outcast, but I couldn’t see why. He had sandy brown hair, and clear green eyes. He was average height, with a great build, for an outcast. In short, he was a hottie. Maybe, this school won’t be so bad after all. I thought, with a smile. Then I saw another boy, one with glasses, run up to the hottie. “MT! Wait up!” he yelled. MT… hmm… I thought. Not bad. 

(MT)  
I made it to English class right before the bell rang. Mr. Jamison, my English teacher, gave me a teasing smirk. “Well, Mr. Taylor, you made it to class on time today. Tell me, what is the cause of this amazing phenomenon?” I took the bait. “My alarm clock. How do you get up on time, Mr. Jamison?” I shot back, cheekily. “My wife.” He answered. “Which is pretty much, the same thing.” I laughed. Hands down, Mr. Jamison, is my favorite. As I sat down, he said: “ Oh, yes, MT, we have a new student. Principal Doven would like for you to be her guide around the school today.” Oh, boy… I thought, dreading the thought of leading the. “Her?” I repeated. Mr. Jamison nodded. “Yes, MT, that’s what I said.” He stated, not looking up from the papers he was sorting. Behind me, I heard a snicker. “Looks like MT’s finally gettin’ a girlfriend.” My anger boiled. I knew who it was. Brad Connor. The biggest jock in the school. Furious, I turned around. “Why can’t you act your age instead of your IQ?” I hissed, sharply. “Mr. Connor, you needn’t be meddling into Mr. Taylor’s private life. Unless, perhaps, you’d like to discuss your own with the class?” Mr. Jamison asked, calmly. The classroom erupted with laughter. Everyone at Pinkerton High knew that Brad was dating Mr. Jamison’s daughter, Alana, so the English teacher knew everything about their relationship. Brad blushed. “Uh… No, sir. I’ll leave it alone.” He replied. Mr. Jamison smiled. “Good. Ah, here she is. Welcome to Pinkerton High School. I am Mr. Jamison.” I looked up to see a girl with choppy black hair and purple lowlights walk in. She had on a black biker jacket, with a white t-shirt underneath, and a set of dog tags around her neck. She wore camouflage cargo pants and wore black combat boots. On her hands she wore a set of biker gloves. She was my type. Oh, please be single! I thought. The new girl smiled at him. “Thank you, Mr. Jamison. My name is Trixie, or, Trix, Evans.” She stated. Mr. Jamison nodded. “Yes, my dear girl, I was expecting you. Please have a seat next to the young man in the gray hoodie.” As she sat down next to me, I leaned toward her and whispered: “My name is MT. I’m supposed to be your guide,today.” She looked at me, with her violet eyes sparkling mischievously. “Nice name.” she stated. I opened my mouth to respond when the school was rocked by an explosion!  
For a moment, no one spoke. Then, we heard it. Gunshots. Kids bolted for the exits, in a panic. I was tempted to do the same, but , then I saw Trix. She didn’t run for the exit. She seemed to be turning to go the opposite direction! “Trix! What are you doing?!” I yelled. She looked at me, her eyes wide but determined. “MT, we have to help!” she shouted. “Are you nuts?! No! We need to get out of here!” I shouted back, reaching for her arm. She shook her head. “Someone has to help. We are the only ones who can. The seniors and juniors are too far away! They’ll be killed! “ She pleaded. She was right. Plus, Ash was in the junior class. She had skipped a grade this year, thanks to her genius boyfriend, Chez Rodriguez. Ash had been a friend to me, when no one else cared. She was the reason I still bothered to come to this lousy school. I would never forgive myself if she was killed. My father’s warning echoed in my head. Whatever you do, don’t call attention to yourself. But, I knew I couldn’t let this happen. Sorry, Dad. I thought. I looked at her. “Okay, Trix. Let’s go.” Hang on, Ash. I’m coming.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MT and Trix must now work together to free the other student from the masked gunmen holding them hostage. Some have already lost their lives. Can they even hope to survive this real-life nightmare? They aren't sure, but MT knows two things. He's very angry, and he's not backing down.

TRIX  
MT surprised me. He seemed to be an average teenage boy, but I could see fire behind those eyes. MT was more then he appeared to be. Interesting… I thought, as we ran down the hallway to the freshman classroom. On the way I did the one thing my father would never have done. I called the police. The woman on the phone sounded bored. “Hello, please state your name and your emergency.” “My name is Trix Evans!” I practically shouted. “I’m a student at Pinkerton Highschool! We’re being held hostage by masked gunmen! We’ve got about two hundred other students who are in danger! Get someone to help!” I cried, then I hung up. MT looked at me with a slight frown. “You’re scared, aren’t you?” he guessed. I thought about lying, but I realized MT wasn’t trying to make fun of me. “Terrified.” I admitted. He nodded grimly. “Me, too.” He confessed. I stared at him. The boy showed no outward fear. It’s almost as if he’s used to stuff like this. I observed. We’d reached the first room. I held my breath as MT peeked in. “One dead.” He whispered. “Looks like Ms. Jillian. Dang, I actually liked her. What a cold-hearted murderer.” He added bitterly. He looked really mad. He looked at me. “Okay, Trix, here’s the plan.” He had me break the fire extinguisher case, toss it to him, ducking back to my side of the door as the alarm wailed. The gunman came out to check it out. At that moment, MT , slammed the heavy cylinder into the back of the gunman’s head. The man crumpled like a rag doll. MT smirked. “Gotcha.” he muttered. I grinned. I think I like this guy a lot more than I expected. I thought. MT and I rushed into the room. 

MT  
I was pretty angry about what had happened to poor Ms. Jillian. Ms. Jillian never gave up on her students, and she’d always cared about every student she came into contact with. For a boy who lived alone most of the time, I craved that. Now these fools had taken her away. Someone was gonna pay. I looked around the room. “It’s MT.” I heard the freshmen whispering. “Is everyone else okay?” I asked. A girl I recognized stood up. “We’re fine, Matt.” Alana Jamison. Alana was a junior, though. What was she doing in here? “We’re just scared.” She admitted. I hoisted the rifle I’d taken from Mr. Trigger-Happy in the doorway. “Get them away from the window, Alana.” I instructed. She complied immediately. “Uh, MT? You do know how to use one of those, right?” Trix asked uncertainly. I didn’t answer her directly. Instead, I simply raised the rifle and shot out the window. Turning to Alana, I said: “ Alana, get them out through the window. Police should be out there already. Your father and boyfriend made it out, too.” Alana looked relieved. “Thank you, Matt.” Turning to the group of terrified 14-year-olds, she began barking orders, getting the poor kids moving. Seeing that she had the situation handled, Trix and I left the room. But, before I did, I knelt next to Ms. Jillian’s lifeless body. “I know you saved them by giving up your life. You always made sure I had what needed. You made feel like I wasn’t alone. You were more than a history teacher to me. You were my friend. You didn’t deserve this.” I whispered as I closed her eyes. “I swear I’ll do anything I can to protect these students you loved so much.” I vowed as I got up and left with Trix. I sprayed the gunman’s legs with the fire extinguisher. Have fun walkin’ on those frozen muscles , tough guy. I thought. Trix looked impressed. I tried not to feel good about that. Still, I really liked her. She was brave enough to risk her life for a bunch of kids she’d never even met. That was my kind of girl. Stay focused, MT. This is not a game. This is the real deal. Do or die. I reminded myself. Then, I noticed Trix’s tears. 

TRIX  
Look, I never thought this was a game, but, seeing that teacher… that was like, the final nail in the coffin. People were getting hurt, killed, because of this. It was suddenly so real, and I realized the danger we were up against. I knew it seemed to be impossible. And I was scared. Really scared. Without warning I began to cry. MT noticed, and he surprised me, by taking my hand. “Trix, I know you’re scared. This is a nightmare, and personally, I wish I could wake up. But, this is real. “ I swallowed hard. “It’s just not fair.” I whispered. “What did that teacher do to deserve death? This is just plain evil!” MT hugged me tight , surprising me, yet again. “I agree. I liked Ms. Jillian. She made me feel like I was important, even when no one else did. Her sacrifice will not be in vain.” He promised. I smiled. “You’re different. I like that about you. You’re a fighter.” I told him. He sighed. “I don’t like to feel like anything is beyond my control. So, I work as hard as I can, to make sure I can control it.” He explained. But, I knew differently. MT wasn’t a typical tough teenager. He was Mafia material. Suddenly, I saw a thug coming behind him. “Look out!!!” I yelled. Too late. The thug grabbed MT from behind. Another grabbed me. “MT!!!” I screamed. “You’re a pretty one.” My attacker murmured in my ear. I froze in horror. “Maybe boss will let me keep ya.” He added. Okay, moron, I’ve heard enough. I thought. Then, I brought down my boot on his foot as hard as I could. Since I was raised in a mafia, that was not a pleasant experience for this guy. He yelped in pain and let go of me, freeing my hands and arms. I brought my arm up and elbowed him in the nose. Hard. He cried out in pain, holding his bleeding nose. “By dose!” he yelled. I turned to help MT when he yelled: “Duck!!!” I did, watching in amazement as MT, dropped to one knee as he gripped his attacker’s arm, using the man’s momentum against him. The man sailed over our heads, and slammed into my attacker. The poor guy didn’t stand a chance. The two thugs rolled head-over-heels, down the hallway. “Yes!” MT cheered. I giggled. “Nice shot.” I praised. He smirked. “A strike for sure.” He joked. He walked over to them and swiftly stripped them of their weapons. Another AR-15, and two semi- automatic handguns. He gave me one handgun and the rifle. I strapped the rifle to my back. Then, I took the handgun, feeling a bit sick to my stomach. I looked at MT. He swallowed hard, also looking sick. “I know, Trix. “ He said. “But, we have no choice. They started it. It’s up to us to finish it. “ I nodded in agreement. “They wanna fight? Fine. Let’s bring it!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After discovering Miss Jillian dead, MT swore he would avenge. He and Trix are beyond scared. They are also angry. MT wants to rescue Ashley and Chez. Trix wants to take down the entire orginization. They both want to know why they are being attacked. They both want answers. 
> 
> And, they're determined to get them.

The scene in the first junior’s classroom made me horrified. I saw an old teacher, tied to a chair. A gunman circled him, clearly taunting him. MT sucked in a breath. “It’s Mr. Arthur. I didn’t know he’d gotten out of the hospital.” He whispered. “’Hospital?’” I echoed. “What for?” I asked. MT looked like he wanted to be sick…again. “Heart attack.” He replied. Those two words clouded my mind with anger, and I knew I had to help him. I stood and kicked the door open, holding the handgun, aimed straight at the gunman. “DROP THE GUN!” I yelled. The man jumped back, and I realized there were two. One, by the students, the other, by the teacher. I glared at the teacher’s attacker. “ You deaf, moron?! I said drop the gun!” Then, I shot the man in the wrist. He dropped his weapon, clutching his wrist. I lunged and kicked him into the metal filing cabinet. He crumpled like a rag doll. I was going to congratulate myself when I heard an audible ch-click! The other one had turned his gun on me. I whirled and stared at him, unsure of what to do. I’m an idiot. He’s going to kill me. The thug grinned at me wickedly. “A brave try, little girl. But, it ends here.” He said. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” came MT’s calm voice. Dangerously calm. The man stared at him. MT kept his gun trained on him, his eyes cold. “Who are you?” the thug asked. MT smiled, coldly. “ Wrong question to ask at this end of the barrel, bud. Put the gun down. “He commanded. The man did, much to my surprise. MT smiled. “Good boy. Now, I’m giving you two choices. One: we are going to get these students out, while you sit there, tied to a desk chair, and you aren’t going to pull any funny business. And, you are going to live. Or, two: I am going to kill you now.” He said, simply. The thug sat down in the desk chair, and several boys in the class lent us their belts. I got the honor of strapping him in. After we shot out the window, the boys helped the girls out, three of them stayed to keep an eye on the thug. MT and I ran out. “Mrs. Donovan’s class, next?” I asked. Suddenly, MT yanked me back until I hit the wall, not hard. But, it wasn’t gentle, either. I looked into MT’s angry eyes. “MT?” I ventured. “What you did, was so reckless, Trix! Don’t ever go into a room like that without back up.” He scolded me. I rolled my eyes. “MT, I knew what I was doing.” I assured him. He shook his head. “You not only endangered yourself, but Mr. Arthur.” I looked away. “I can use firearms, too, MT.” I said softly. MT sighed. “I know, Trix. You just scared me, running in like that. “He admitted. His honesty surprised me. I didn’t know he cared. Still, I was frustrated. “Look, MT, I know you want to keep me safe, but, we don’t have time for the safety check. These guys aren’t messing around. Don’t you think it’s weird that we haven’t heard anything from the principal? It’s because they’ve killed her. Just like Mrs. Jillian!” I pointed out. MT winced and looked away. I realized he was still grieving for the poor teacher. He was connected to her. “She made me feel important, even when no one else did.” He’d said. My words just reopened the wound. “MT, I – I’m sorry.” He raised a hand to stop me. “ I know what you’re saying, Trix. We have to take risks. But, we still need to figure out why these guys are holding up our school. They aren’t students here.” He stated softly. Suddenly, the PA system crackled to life. “Attention, Pinkerton students.” A woman’s voice said. Instinctively, I knew this was the ringleader. I looked at MT. “We’re about to find out.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MT and Trix are now about find out why they are being attacked. But, the answer only complicates things. MT may be forced to make a tough choice.

(MT)  
“Attention Pinkerton students…” the woman said. I froze, knowing this was not our principal. “I understand this is a difficult situation I have put you in, but when I find who I’m looking for, I will let you go. That is why we are masked.” She promised. I believed her. But, that didn’t mean I had to like her. “Girls, you have nothing to worry about…” she continued. “The person I’m looking for is a boy. I have no description, I apologize. But, I will tell you this. This boy… he seems normal to most of you, but, to us… he’s extraordinary.” She finished. At that moment, everything came together for me. “Don’t draw attention to yourself.” My father had warned. “He seems normal to most of you, but, to us… he’s extraordinary.” The ringleader had said. My stomach flipped inside out. “Me.” Trix stared at me and I realized I had spoken out loud. “What?” she asked. I knew I had to be honest. I turned to her. “They’re looking for me. “ The realization made me want to puke, as I explained who I really was. Trix took it well. “I figured there was more to you then what met the eye. You are way too good at this. Besides, I’m not your typical student either, you know.” I nodded. “Yeah, ‘cause you’re a mafia princess. You made it kinda obvious.” Trix smiled. “Then, we make a pretty good team, don’t we?” Again, I noticed how beautiful she was. I lost myself in her violet eyes. “Yeah… we do.”I admitted. Man, was I ever falling for this girl? Then, we heard a gunshot, and a girl screamed. We exchanged a look. “Mrs. Donovan!” we ran towards the room. As we got closer, I heard a girl’s voice screaming in hysterical anger. All the blood drained from my face. I knew that voice. Panic set in. If she was hurt, I'd never forgive myself. Because the voice I heard, belonged to Ashley Eastwood.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MT and Trix finally find Ash, but things don't look good. MT decides to make a dangerous choice, but Trix won't let him do it alone. Ash thinks he's crazy, but agrees to help. Chez comes up with the perfect plan.

(Trix)  
The girl we heard was really good at talking back. But, that’s not what had gotten my attention. It was MT’s reaction to hearing her. He went pale. He knows this girl. Is she his girlfriend? I wondered. I was surprised to feel a twinge of jealousy at that thought. “Ash… “ MT breathed. “Look, little wench, I ain’t here to kill you but you’re making the option very tempting,” the thug growled. Ash seemed to scoff. “Why not? You guys will just kill me later. Why wait?” She challenged. MT held up three fingers. I grasped my Glock and waited. One. “No, we’re not.” The thug said. Two. “Whatever, that’s what every gang says. I don’t believe you.” Ash shot back. “Well, believe it, wench! Why the heck do you think we’re wearing masks?!” Three. MT burst through the door. “I thought it was because you were so ugly.” He pointed out. ( I stifled a giggle) The thug whirled, but he paused when he saw the gun in MT’s hand. Ash was a redheaded girl with clear green eyes. She was pretty. But, I could tell she wasn’t MT’s girlfriend. Her boyfriend was the other boy I had seen with MT when I had arrived that morning. That kid was holding her back from killing the thug. “MT!” Ash cried, in a mix of relief and horror. MT nodded in acknowledgment, but his gaze was riveted on the thug. The man glared at him.”Who are you?” he demanded. MT shrugged. “Just a kid who is tired of being pushed around.” He answered. Then, he lunged and knocked the thug away from Ash. Unfortunately, MT lost control of his grip on his handgun, and it slid across the floor, away from him. The thug didn’t lose his gun, however, so as MT struggled to get back up, he calmly trained his gun on MT! I couldn’t sit there and watch. Plus ,I felt so angry. I found it totally overkill to terrorize a high school… over one kid. So, I raised the Glock and fired. The thug screamed in pain as the bullet hit his right thigh. MT whirled and tackled him to the ground, wrestling his gun from his hand. “Kill me…” the thug groaned. But, I had a different idea. I was so tired of being afraid of them. “No. I’m not going to do that. In fact, I am going to dress your wound so you survive long enough to tell your boss that you were beaten by two teenagers who refuse to bow to her every whim, This is for Mrs. Donovan, and the Principal, and especially, Mrs. Jillian! This is for justice! This is for the entire Pinkerton High School student body!” I cried. The other students cheered. MT gave me a grateful look, as he knelt to dress the thug’s wound. “Shut up!” the thug snapped. MT slapped the man so hard the man’s lip bled. “You shut up, idiot! She and I hate people like you! We will fight you, and we will take back our school!” MT shouted. The thug apparently was too weak from the pain to hold out, as he, promptly passed out. Ash stared at me then turned to MT. “MT! You’re in danger! The leader is-“ “Let’s get these students out of here first.” MT interrupted her. I turned and shot out the window. After the kids were out, Ash, her boyfriend, (Whom, I found out, was named Chez.) MT, and I were left. Ash glanced at MT. “You do know she’s after you, right?” she asked. MT shrugged. “I’m irresistible.” He joked. Ash didn’t laugh. Neither did Chez. “Bro, you have to get out of here! If she gets you, she’ll kill you!” he exclaimed. My heart did a back flip. Kill MT? How important is he? I wondered. 

(MT)   
I shook my head. “No, she clearly wants me alive. Otherwise, she’d have bombed the school. Most likely, this has something to do with my father.” I pointed out. Trix sighed. “Okay, but, I still agree with Ash and Chez. Whatever she plans to do with you, it can’t be good.” She stated. I shook my head. “If I leave, she’ll never let the rest of us go.” Ash bit her lip. “So… what are we gonna do?” She asked. I smiled sadly. “I’m going to show up.” I said. Ash paled, and Trix gasped. “What! MT! That’s nuts!” Ash exclaimed. I sighed. “Look, I’m not giving up. I’m just going to get inside this place, and destroy it from it’s roots. That’s the only way to win this thing.” I explained. Trix shook her head. “I know. But, you won’t do this by yourself. I’m coming with you.” She said, firmly. I shook my head. “No way, Trix. I am not going to put you in danger.” I said. Chez coughed. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea. You may need back up. You and Trix have been working together ever since this morning. You two make a good team. She can just pretend she’s your girlfriend, or whatever. She seems tough enough to be your type, anyways.” I sighed. Chez was right. If I was going to have anyone to rely on, I’d rather have Trix on my side. As for the pretend girlfriend part… well, who says I had to pretend? Still, I hated the thought of putting anyone else in danger. In a messed up way, I was the reason we were in this mess. Sighing, I handed my phone to Ash. “Okay, as soon as you’re safe, call my father. Chez, they don’t know you’re actually a good friend of mine, so I need you to tip them off about us.” I stated. Chez gulped. “Oh, gosh. This is really happening… uh, okay! Fine, man. Whatever.” He said. Then, I turned to Trix. “Are you sure you wanna do this?” I asked. Trix didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I don’t know much about stuff like this. But, I do know about Mafias. You need my help.” She stated. I smiled. “I agree. Thank you, Trix.” Ash smirked. “On the off chance that you two do survive this, please tell me, MT, that you will ask her out.” I felt my face go hot. “Uh…” Trix saved me from more embarrassment. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” I threw her a grateful look. “Exactly! We’ve got a bigger mission.” I pointed out. Ash nodded. Then, she ducked out the window, and then, she was gone. Trix and I ducked out of the room. I heard Chez kick the thug awake. “Easy, kid!” the thug protested. “Look, you moron, I couldn’t care less about you.” Chez snapped. Then, he sighed. “But, I do care about what happens to my friends in this school. I have the information your boss is looking for. I know the kid she’s looking for.” He said. Well done, Chez. I thought. “Don’t waste my time, kid.” The thug said. Chez sighed. “You want the info or not?” he asked. The thug seemed to be contemplating this. “Okay, fine.” Chez took a deep breath. “Okay, my girlfriend has this friend, he was the kid who just beat the tire out of you, his name is Matthios Taylor. The son of Maxwell Taylor…” Trix and I took off down the hallway.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MT and Trix choose to lure the thugs to them, and get captured, on purpose. MT is determined to destroy this thing from the inside out, using himself as bait. He doesn't know if Ash got a hold of his father, but, he has to trust her. He knows this is risky, and they could die, but Trix wasn't helpless. He also noticed Alexis wasn't what she claimed to be.

Trix) (  
Running away from danger seemed to go against everything MT and I had done that day. But, I had faith in MT. Suddenly, he pulled me into an empty classroom, and we ducked into a broom closet. “Look, Trix…” he sighed. “If this part of the plan is too awkward, I can just say you’re my cousin or something. “ he said, avoiding my gaze. Cute. I thought. He thinks I’m uncomfortable. I smiled. “ I’m fine. Are you?” I asked. MT looked away. “More like, I wish it wasn’t fake. We make the perfect team, you and me. Plus, I really like you…” he blushed and looked down. My heart soared. He did like me! “Same here. I want this to be real.” I confessed. We’d only spent eight hours together, but, it felt like I had known him a long time. MT’s eyes met mine and I stood, frozen. Then, he leaned forward and kissed me gently. “From here on out, you are my girlfriend. For real.” He whispered. I shivered with pleasure at his nearness. Suddenly, the door slammed open. “Game’s up, kids!” a rough voice said. I went into protective girlfriend mode. “Let him go! I’m the one who started this!”I cried, pouring on the drama. MT caught on quick. “No! Babe, let them take me! You should go free!” he protested. I shook my head. “No, we started this together, we’ll finish this together!” I declared loyally. The thug seemed taken aback for a second. “Uh…look, lovebirds, I’m takin’ ya both in. Oh, no funny business.” He grabbed me by the arm and pressed a gun into my side. I didn’t need to pretend to be scared as I screamed. MT’s eyes flashed angrily. “I’d watch where you put that gun.” He growled. I got the impression, he wasn’t acting. The thug pulled the gun away from my side. “Sorry.” He muttered. “You better be.” MT muttered as he pulled me closer to his side. I wasn’t used to being taken hostage. I was a mafia princess. You’d have to be crazy to kidnap me. This experience was scary for me. MT leaned towards me. “Don’t panic, Trix. He’s not allowed to kill us, unless his boss orders him to. And, she wanted us alive.” He assured me, quietly. That was weirdly comforting. I hoped our captor wasn’t bipolar.

(Ash)  
My hands shook as I pulled out MT’s phone and dialed his father’s number. I couldn’t believe he’d done this. I knew MT wasn’t helpless and neither was his new friend. But, these people weren’t messing around. It wasn’t fair. “Hello? Matthios?” came the sound of Maxwell Taylor’s voice. My heart clenched. “Hello, M-Mr. Taylor. T-this is Ashley Eastwood.” I managed. “Ash? Why are you calling on my son’s phone? What’s wrong? Where’s Matthios?” he asked, clearly alarmed. I broke down as I explained what had happened. “I’m so sorry! I-I tried to stop him…” I could hear his breathing quicken. “Let me guess… he turned himself in?” he guessed. “Yes.” I said hoarsely. “He wasn’t alone, though. He has a girl with him. She’s clearly a mafia girl. She’s pretending to be his girlfriend so they wouldn’t suspect her. Her name is Trix. I-I’m sorry, I don’t really know her last name. But, this wasn’t a hate crime, sir. These thugs were professional, and way too organized. They wore masks. Also, they were being led by a woman.” I told him. I heard him swear under his breath and mutter something like Clue Diamond or something. “Ashley, thank you, for letting me know. MT knows what he’s doing, and honestly, my dear girl, I’m not surprised he is doing this. He hates it when he puts others in danger because he’s being targeted. This is not his first rodeo, you know.” He said. Then, he asked me to give the phone to the police chief. The chief gave me a weird look, but, I didn’t care. Maxwell Taylor was a brilliant man. I wouldn’t bet against him.   
(Maxwell)  
After I received the news of my son’s dangerous choice, I scrambled my cell signal, then I boarded a plane and came straight to Pinkerton High School. Blue Diamond was led by none other then Alexis Nightwalker. Yassen, my close friend, and mafia leader of the Scorpions, was her biggest rival. So, I called him. “Maxwell! To what do I owe the pleasure?” he answered cheerfully. “My son has been taken hostage by Alexis Nightwalker. I need any information on her. Do you have any?” I said. “Nice to hear from you, too.” He grumbled. I smiled. Yassen has a dry sense of humor. “Sorry. So, do you have any?” I asked. Yassen laughed. “On Nightwalker? Plenty. I used to be romantically involved with her.” That piece of info was a shock. “Like, dating?” I asked, curiously. “Um… it was a bit more complicated than that. Still is, actually.” He admitted. Interesting. I thought “How so?” I pried. Yassen never withheld anything from me. “I never actually ended anything with her. I don’t really hate her, you know.” He explained. I thought about that. “Does she know this?” I wanted to know. “Duh. But, she’s super fun to tick off, so, that’s why we have this rivalry. I’m completely to blame.” He replied amusedly. I shook my head. “Why?” I asked. Yassen snickered. “She’s super hot when she’s angry.” He explained. I chuckled. “You’re nuts!” I said. “Guilty as charged.” He quipped. After that, I got down to business. Yassen listened closely as I told him what MT had chosen to do. “Whoa… brave kid you got there, Max.” he said. I sighed. “Yeah, no kidding. So what do I do?” I asked. “Max… you have trained him for things like this. Most likely, he’ll escape. You said the chick’s name was Trix? That’s Peter Evans daughter. She’ll be able to keep up with MT. So, we’ll stake out at Blue Diamond’s headquarters. When he escapes, we’ll follow him. Alexis is using him to lure you in. You’ll go. But, on your own terms. You’ll arrive in style.” He stated. I smiled. Thank God for best friends like Yassen. I thought. “Sounds like a plan.” I hung up and parked across the street from Pinkerton High School. Then, I saw the students. More of them then what you’d normally see in a situation like this. MT and this girl saved all of these students? On their own? I marveled. I had to admit, Yassen was right. Trix could keep up with MT. I spotted Ashley Eastwood, and her boyfriend, Chez. She spotted me, too, but looked away as if she didn’t recognize me. Smart girl. Suddenly, my phone rang. I ducked behind an ambulance, and answered it, already knowing who it was. “Hello, Alexis.” I said. “Maxwell… what a pleasure.” She purred. I clenched my jaw. “Can’t say that I agree.” I managed, coolly. “Oh, don’t be like that, handsome. By the way, I never thought MT would resemble you so closely. But, now that I’m looking at him up close, he’s definitely your son. Just as annoyingly elusive. Him and his annoying little girlfriend.” She stated. Girlfriend? I thought. Since when did MT have a girlfriend? Then, it hit me. Trix! She must’ve been masquerading as his girlfriend as so to avoid suspicion. That alone was a stroke of genius. “So, you have her, too?” I said. “Yes, he wouldn’t let me separate them, either. How noble of him, protecting her like that.” She confirmed, sounding annoyed. “If you lay a finger on either one of them, Alexis, there will be hell to pay. You hear me?” I threatened. “Oh, you don’t want them hurt? Then, you better hurry.” She stated smugly. The phone went dead.

MT  
Alexis wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought. Yeah, she seemed tough enough to kill us, and all that. But, She didn’t seem to be the one in control. She glared at me. “Okay, kid, where’s Daddy Dearest?” she demanded. I simply shrugged. “Don’t know. He never tells me. “ I admitted smugly. Alexis rolled her dark eyes. “Please… I’ve heard better cover-ups.” I nodded. “I know. If I was lying, I might have given you a false location. But, I truly don’t know where he is.” I pointed out. She opened her mouth to respond, but I wasn’t done. “I mean, Do you really think my father is that stupid? Honestly? He knows I’m a constant target. Morons like you pump me for information all the time.” Alexis eyed me. Apparently, she wasn’t as stupid as I thought she was. She sighed. “Well played, Max.” she muttered. I turned my attention to Trix. She wasn’t pretending to be scared, that much I knew. The girl was thoroughly terrified. I couldn’t blame her. First day of school, and bam! The school gets attacked… because of me. I still felt guilty. As if she sensed my thoughts, Trix laced her fingers through mine. “Don’t go that route, MT. It could’ve happened to anyone. I know why you’re doing this, and I love you for it.” She whispered. I smiled. Trix made this crazy plan worth it. If I could keep her safe, I would feel like I made a difference. (Yes, I was definitely falling for this girl.) I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “You’re the bravest girl I’ve ever met, Trix. Thank you for sticking with me. Not exactly the ideal first date, though.” I whispered back. She giggled. “We’re not exactly the ideal couple. We’re better than that.” she pointed out. Her words made my heart swell. I didn’t care if Alexis was watching, I kissed Trix, right then and there. She responded instantly. Oh, yeah, I could get used to this.


End file.
